Sfax, Tunisia—Naval patrols and coastal guard units recovered fourteen bodies from Mediterranean waters Tuesday morning after an unseaworthy boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized off the eastern coast.
Coast Guard cutters intercepted distress signals from local fishing vessels that first spotted wooden wreckage floating six nautical miles off the port city of Sfax.
Surviving passengers told judicial investigators that the craft suffered hull failure shortly after departure due to severe overcrowding and inadequate safety equipment onboard.
Rescue divers extracted several victims from submerged compartments, while medical teams transferred eleven survivors to hospital facilities in Sfax for hypothermia treatment and trauma care.
"The structural integrity of these homemade wooden craft is practically non-existent once they hit open coastal currents," said Coast Guard spokesperson Mohamed Walid during an afternoon press brief.
Judicial authorities opened a criminal inquiry into organized human trafficking networks operating along the coastal perimeter, ordering formal forensic autopsies for all recovered victims.
International maritime organizations continue to flag the central Mediterranean transit route as one of the world's most dangerous maritime crossings due to unseaworthy vessels.
Local fishermen reported finding discarded life jackets and vessel debris scattered along coastal beaches, joining municipal search crews scanning surrounding waters for additional missing passengers.
Patrol boats maintained search grids through late evening hours, while humanitarian agencies coordinated with local authorities to arrange identification procedures for the deceased.
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